Felix Leitner has had a tough time. For the past three years, the Austrian biathlete has had to end his season early because of health issues. In spring 2025, he suffered another setback when he was not given squad status by the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV). But he is determined to fight his way back to the top.

City Biathlon in Dresden: The first small success on the road to recovery

Felix Leitner was satisfied after his race in Dresden. With fifth place, he showed that he can once again compete with the best biathletes. "I didn't know where I stood before the competition. I had back problems in recent weeks, so I'm glad I was able to perform well. It shows me that I've trained well," said the 28-year-old. A small ray of hope after many defeats in recent years.

Until the 2021/2022 season, Felix Leitner was one of Austria's best biathletes. He was regularly among the top 20 in the World Cup. But since then, things have not been going well. He keeps getting sick. His mind and body are not cooperating. Leitner ended the past three winters early. His form was at an all-time low, and his frustration was high. "I was at rock bottom during that time because I was used to a different level and couldn't explain why my performance was so poor."

A fresh start with an old coach

To regain his former strength, Leitner went his own way. He said goodbye to training with the ÖSV and moved back to his hometown of Mils in Tyrol. There he is coached by Florian Steirer, who has already trained him as a teenager. "I trust Florian. We are not only colleagues, but friends. Together with Stefan Maier, who takes care of my shooting, we form a unit." This is particularly important to him after the ÖSV announced in spring 2025 that Felix Leitner would no longer be in the team for the upcoming World Cup season. ‘" didn't understand the association's decision."

Organise yourself, but with lots of freedom

Leitner now has to organise his training, training camps and all sporting activities himself. Although this is more difficult for him than having the association behind him, it also gives him the freedom to focus more on himself. "At the training camp, we stay in a holiday flat, which is nice because it means we get to spend even more time together as a team. We can cook whatever we want and structure the day ourselves." This individual approach gives him renewed strength and motivation to achieve his sporting goals. During this difficult time, the change of scenery from Hochfilzen to Mils has also helped him, as he now has his family and friends around him again.

Olympics as an interim goal, focus on the 2028 World Championship at home

Leitner wants to qualify for the Austrian World Cup team in the coming weeks and then compete in Oestersund. He has not set himself any specific goals in terms of rankings. "My goal is to get back to my old performance level. That was a long way off for a while." Participating in the 2026 Olympic Games would be a great success for him, but his focus is on the 2028 World Championships on home soil. "I want to enjoy biathlon again." The City Biathlon in Dresden showed him once more how wonderful biathlon can be.

Photos: IBU I Archive